Technology Bursary

Guidance Notes 2020

About the Bursary

The is working with some of the top companies in the television industry to encourage the most talented Computer Science, Engineering, physics and Mathematics undergraduates to consider a career in television and related media. Competition to recruit highly skilled graduates in these fields is strong, and many may be unaware of the career opportunities that television and adjacent media have to offer.

Our Technology Bursary is in its fifth year. It provides a unique opportunity to get to know more about the world of television whilst studying as well as £1000 a year to support living expenses for the duration of your course.

Every year we have also offered bursary students a ‘Summer Tour’ of the industry, with the opportunity to stay for a fortnight in London, spending a day with each of our partners – including STV, Sky, BBC, ITV, , YouView, Virgin, , and the Institute of Engineering Technology- learning more about their work and opportunities for graduates. Accommodation is provided and students are paid an additional bursary to cover expenses, time and travel. We plan to offer a similar opportunity this year and to future bursary recipients. Our partners are also keen to offer students internships or placements during their studies.

Bursary recipients will also benefit from free membership of the Royal Television Society and free affiliate membership of The Hospital Club while studying, and a further one year’s free membership of the Royal Television Society when they graduate.

Bursaries are available to new students and students in their first year of study from households with an income of less than £35,000 a year, and a firm offer for one of the subjects listed above.

These awards are discretionary. Our panel of industry experts will decide the awards based on their judgement of the students who will most benefit from this investment. They will use the criteria listed below when making their decisions. Please make sure you read these and use them to make your application. There are a limited number of bursaries available, and the decision of the panel is final.

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for this award you need to meet all the criteria listed below. If you are not sure what we mean, please see our Frequently Asked Questions for further information

• You must have a place to study or be in your first year of study on an undergraduate degree course or HND level 5/6 in one of these subjects; Computer Science, Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Physics or Maths

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• The RTS bursary is for people who are new to higher education. If you already have a degree you will not be eligible for this bursary

• You can apply if your course starts in 2020 or you are in your first year and your course started in 2019

• If your course starts in 2020, you must have accepted an offer for a place as your 'firm choice'

• To be eligible for a bursary your household income must be less than £35,000 a year, meaning you should be entitled to the full amount of student loan. You will not need to provide evidence of this at the point of application. However, bursary awards will not be confirmed until you have sent us evidence of the value of your student loan entitlement from Student Finance (or relevant body for Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)

• This bursary is for UK ‘Home’ full-time undergraduate students (as defined by Student Finance. Student from other EU Countries and from overseas are not eligible for this scheme. For more details please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

• You must apply for this bursary by the application deadline of 30 June 2020

How Do Apply?

You will need to complete the application form on the Royal Television Society website, and include your UCAS personal statement. You can save the form and complete it later – you do not need to finish it in one go. You may also include a link to an example of your work or attach a file, although this is not a requirement for this bursary.

We also ask you for contact details for a referee who would support your application. This should be a school or college tutor. Family members are not acceptable. You will need to get the referee’s agreement to put their details on this form.

Please note, all applications must be submitted electronically. If for any reason this is not possible contact us at [email protected]

Applications must be received by 30 June 2020. Any applications received after this deadline will not be eligible for consideration for this award. Please do not leave this until the last minute, as IT systems are likely to be busy, and it may take some time to upload your application.

Consent to Retention and Use of Personal Data

The Royal Television Society will retain your name and contact details, which we will use to stay in contact with you during your studies and after graduation. We will also wish to publicise the names, home towns and courses studied of successful applicants. As part of your application you must give your consent to the retention by Royal Television Society of your application and personal details and their use for this purpose.

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Short-listing Criteria

On the application form we ask you to write a statement explaining why you want to study the course you have applied for, why the Royal Television Society should invest in you and the difference this bursary would make – please be aware that this Bursary is offered by The Royal Television Society and not the university you have applied to. Please read the criteria below and use these as a guide to writing your paragraph.

We will shortlist eligible applications against these criteria, based on the information provided in your form, and any additional evidence submitted or gained through interview or from your referee.

Criteria

• Interest in Television

Why you are applying for this Bursary – your interest in Television and your thoughts about your future career.

We would like to know about your interest in television and media. Please tell us what attracts you to this Bursary scheme, and whether you have any thoughts about a future career in this field.

• Academic Achievement and Ability to Study

Why we should invest in you – your track record of study and relevant skills

Please tell us about any ways in which you have demonstrated your academic ability and commitment to study. This must include GCSE grades (or equivalent), predicted A Level grades (or equivalent), and any success in school or external prizes or competitions. We are also looking for evidence of good communication skills and you should, therefore, ensure your application is fluent, well-structured and accurate.

If you have had to overcome any difficulties in your studies – for example, if you have had to take time out due to illness or family circumstances, if you are a carer or have a disability which has affected your studies or you have overcome any personal difficulties please let us know.

• Motivation to engage with the RTS

What difference the bursary would make to you and why you want to be part of the RTS.

It is important to us that the bursary and the opportunities provided through membership of the RTS are well used. Please tell us the difference the £1000 a year will make to you and what you aim to do with it. This can be anything from buying a new camera or laptop, or to fund your travel expenses to workshops or courses. The bursary brings with it significant opportunities as a result of your membership of the RTS. You should look at the RTS website, find out what we do

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and how you may be able to get involved. Please tell us about how you would make the most of being a member of the RTS to help you whilst at university and further into the future.

• Geographic Spread

A UK-wide scheme

We will also seek to achieve a spread of awards across a range of different Universities and geographies of the UK. We will try to avoid making a high number of awards at any one University. You don't need to tell us anything about this in your statement, but we may use this criterion to make final decisions between applicants.

• Example of your work

There is no requirement to submit an example of your work for this bursary. If you do have something which you feel enhances your application in that it demonstrates your enthusiasm for your subject, your future career, or a hobby or interest that is relevant to your application then please attach it or provide a link on your application form.

Please submit your application by 30 June 2020. Please remember to attach an example of your work if you have anything that you feel will support your application.

What Happens Next?

The Royal Television Society will assess applications against the eligibility and short-listing criteria listed within these Guidance Notes. We may contact your referee for further information at this stage. We may also contact you to arrange a short telephone interview.

The applications which most strongly meet our criteria as determined by our panel will be awarded the bursaries, subject to confirmation of household income, meeting the conditions of any University offers, and successfully enrolling on your course in autumn 2020 If you are an existing student, we will require confirmation from your University that you successfully completed your first year.

We will also create a reserve list. Where students from the shortlist do not meet the conditions for the offer of a bursary, these will be offered to students from the reserve list. If you are on the shortlist for a bursary we will contact you about providing confirmation of your place and household income. Please note: We will expect you to provide these by 30 September 2020 at the latest. If these are not provided, we may withdraw the offer of a bursary

We will inform all applicants of the outcome of their bursary application by 30 September 2020. Successful applicants will receive the first instalment of their bursary payments in February 2021.

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Please note The Royal Television Society have a limited number of bursaries during therefore meeting the eligibility criteria and applying for a bursary does not guarantee that an application will be successful.

Every effort is made to ensure that all details included in these Guidance Notes are correct at the time of writing. They are intended to act as an information source for potential bursary applicants and in no way should they be considered to be legally binding or guarantee an award of a bursary. The Royal Television Society will not be deemed to be in breach of any Terms and Conditions due to changes to eligibility criteria beyond their reasonable control. It should be noted that these Guidance Notes will be regularly reviewed and may be subject to change from time to time. The decision of the award panel is final, and there is no appeal against the decision of the panel on the award of bursaries. We regret that we are unlikely to be able to provide individual feedback, as we anticipate receiving many applications for these awards.

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